Outlet for air circulating systems



D'3'C- 131, 15337. F cu s 2,102,581

DUTLET FOR AIR CIRCULATING SYSTEMS Filed Nov. 29, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORP BY flzeaser Raver/s ATTORNEYS F. CURTEEw 00000006615000000 ooooooooomoooo 0000000000000000 qqgooooooomoooow' MW H I I I H iii INVENY HEPaEEr FT 6? 12% W 8 ATTORNJ Patented Dec. 21 1937 OUTLET FOR/AIR CIRCULATING SYSTEMS Herbert F. Curtis, Ber-ea, Ohio, assignor to The Henry Furnace & Foundry Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application November 29, 1935, SerialNo; 52,062

Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in outlets for air circulating systems. a

One of the objects of the invention-isthe' provision of means for readily mounting an outlet 5 box or body memberupon. the studding of a building.

Another object is the provision of suitable means for supporting the grill directly from the outlet box, and particularly by the aid of fastenings in the brackets which support the box.

A further object is the: provision of means for preventing dirt and debris from entering I the outlet box after it isinstalled in the fr ar'ning of a new building.

Other objects and features of novelty will appear as I proceed with the description of s that embodiment of the invention which, for the purposes of the present application, I have illustratedin the accompanying drawings, in which 7 'Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an outletbox embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective View, of a temporary cover for such a box. a

Fig. 3 is a front elevatio-nal view of the box with'its grill in place thereon.

Fig. 4 is a rear elevational view "of the grill, and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view ona smaller scale showing the cover in operative position. 30 The presentinvention has to do with outlets for air circulating systems generally, that-is outlets which may beemplo-yed for air conditioning work as well as for heating, and so designed as to make the mountingand assembly of the unit a quickly and easily performed operation. heretofore constructed the outlet box and the grill have been supportedupon wooden framing pieces attached to the studcling, which has naturally required some little time for cutting and 40 fitting as well as for assembling. The present invention eliminates this work, providing metal brackets permanently attached to the outlet box walls l0 and II and partly by a top wall l4 and V This casing is entirely open. at the a shelf l5. front. In the box there is a damper l6, which 55 consists of'a flat sheet of metal hinged at its rear edge to the rear wallof 'the box. -This sheet of metal is of the same length and width approximately as the vertical passage inthe box, so that when it is down in a horizontal-position the flow of air is cut off completely.' In order that this damper may remain in any desired'position of adjustment, spring fingers II are welded to it, and these fingers have curved extremities which are free to flex and bear 'frictionally against the end walls of the box. They are adapted to yield when suflicient pressure is exerted to move the damper, but they'pre'vent accidental movement. When a grill-is in place upon the outlet it is of course impossible to-grasp the damper and move it up or down, and in order to make adjustments possible when the grill is in position I attach'a small yoke 18 to the damper for engagement with a rod which may be". projected through a hole in the grill and used to lift or depress theyoke. In order to definitely regulate the vertical location of the box when installed in a base board, I attach to the front wall iii a small angle'iron 9 whichis adapted-to engage the floor. v

In the rear and front walls 12 and l3, although appearing in the front wall only in the a'ccompanying drawings, lips: I 9 are struck outwardly and serve to cooperate with similar lips .(not shown) on the vertical conduits with'whichthe outlet is used. In this manner a locked connection between the outlet and its'conduit is effected.

To each of the end walls In and II Irivet or weld a sheet metal bracket 20 ofa gauge preferably somewhat heavier "than that of the -box proper. This bracket may be said to be channel shaped, with one long arm or flange 2| and one short flange 22. The arms 2| are long enough to project in front of and engage the studs of a building on either sideof the outlet. Pairs of nail holes 23 are punched into these bracket arms in position tocorrespond with different spacing of the studs. When the correct position of the outlet is determined and it is in place in that position, the operator merely drives two nails through each bracket arm 2| into the studding, and the mounting of the outlet is completed.

The grill 24 is a heavy stamping perforated with numerous openings 25, with rearwardly extending flanges 26 and 2'! along its upper and side edges respectively. The side flanges 21 embrace the edges of the bracket flanges 22. On the rear side of the grill I build up an inner rectang'ular frame from a strip of metal bent lengthwise into angle form in cross section. One

flange 28 of the angle is spot welded to the grill, and the other flange 28 extends rearwardly at right angles to the grill. The four elements of this inner frame may be entirely separate, or the flanges 29 may be continuous and merely bent at the corners, the flanges 28 being notched out at the corners. The latter construction is preferred. The flanges 29 are so positioned as to fit fairly snugly within the outlet opening at the front of the box. A pair of screw holes 35 are punched in the grill between each pair of side flanges 21 and 29. When the grill is in position on the outlet box with the flanges 29 inside the outlet opening, the holes 3! come into register with holes 3| formed in the bracket flanges 22. Screws are then inserted through the holes 30 and threaded into the holes 3! to hold the grill in place. It will be noted that the flanges 22 of the brackets are flush with the forward edges of the outlet opening. The rear surface of the grill rests against these flanges and the edges of the wall surrounding the, outlet opening.

The grill 24 is furnished in a completely flnished and decorated condition. In the ordinary construction of a building the outlet box is mounted before the lath and plaster are applied. If the grill were assembled onto the box at this time its finish would be subject to injury. It is however undesirable to leave the box open because considerable dirt and debris would then get into it. In order to meet these conditions I provide an inexpensive tin cover 32 which completely excludes foreign matter and may be discarded after the building is completed, when the grill may be mounted on the box. The cover 32 is of a size to snugly fit within the outlet opening and is provided with forwardly offset flanges 33 to engage the front edge of the opening and the front surfaces of bracket flanges 22. Friction alone may be depended upon to hold the cover in place, but if desired it may be secured by means of fastenings fitting the holes 35 in the brackets. Y

Variations from the described structure may be employed. Accordingly I desire it to be understood that the scope of the invention is to be regarded as defined exclusively by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description or the accompanying illustrations.

Having thus described my invention, I claim: 1. In a wall outlet for air circulating systems, a body member having a vertical outlet opening, and a pair of sheet metal brackets permanently fastened to the side walls of the body member to constitute a part of the body member, said brackets comprising arms adapted to engage the surfaces of the studding on either side of the outlet and to be nailed thereto, and said brackets also comprising flanges spaced forwardly from said arms adapted to receive and hold a grill.

2. In a Wall outlet for air circulating systems, a body member having a vertical outlet opening, and a pair of vertically arranged channel shaped sheet metal brackets, the webs of which are permanently secured to the side walls of said outlet adjacent the opening therein, thereby constituting a part of the body member the rear flange of the channel extending outwardly far enough to engage the forward surfaces of the studding on either side of the outlet, and the forward flange having an opening therein adapted to receive a fastening for attachment of a grill.

3. In a wall outlet for air circulating systems,

a body member having a vertical outlet opening, and a pair of vertically arranged channel shaped sheet metal brackets, the webs of which are permanently secured to the side walls of said out let adjacent the opening therein, thereby constituting a part of the body member as fabricated, the rear flange of the channel extending outwardly far enough to engage the forward surfaces of the studding on either side of the outlet,

the forward flange being flush with the forward edge of the body member around said opening, each of said forward flanges also having an opening therein adapted to receive a fastening for attachment of a grill.

4. In a wall outlet for air circulating systems,

a body member having a vertical outlet opening, a flat sheet metal member permanently attached to each side wall of the body member extending outwardly therefrom and flush with the forward open end of the body member, a grill adapted to be fitted over said outlet having rearwardly extending side flanges adapted to embrace said outwardly extending flat sheet metal members, and

'means for fastening said grill to said flat sheet metal members.

5. In combination, an outlet box for air circulating systems, means for attaching a grill to the box, a damper within the box, friction means for holding the damper in various positions of adjustment, and a loop upon the damper adapted to be engaged by a tool inserted through the grill for moving the damper in either direction.

HERBERT F. CURTIS. 

